2. Changes were not properly communicated

Part of the problem, campaigners say, is that the 1995 change was not properly communicated to the women affected. As a result, many 50-something women who had expected to retire at 60 at some point in this decade found they either had to carry on working or eat into their savings.

The lack of proper communication meant they had not had the opportunity to plan their finances to cope with a later SPA.

3. Move to 66 comes too soon

The fact that some women have only had a handful of years to make plans for the increase in the SPA to 66 at the end of this decade has also caused problems.

WASPI says it is unfair that legislation introduced in 2011 will affect people who were expecting to retire in 2018 and beyond, and that these women have had little chance to prepare themselves financially.

4. The new pension system could mean less money

Finally, many of the women affected by the change in SPA will now get their pensions under the new flat-rate state pension scheme, which started on 6 April 2016, as a result of the delay.

In some cases, this could lead to a lower weekly payment.

For example, women are, in general, no longer able to rely on their husband’s National Insurance record when claiming their pension. And the NI threshold for entitlement to a full pension has risen from 30 to 35 years’ contributions.

The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by Saga unless specifically stated.

The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal, medical or other form of advice. You should not rely on this information to make (or refrain from making) any decisions. Always obtain independent, professional advice for your own particular situation.

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Chris Torney has been a national newspaper journalist for 15 years, mostly specialising in business and personal finance. He now works as a freelance writer for a wide range of business and finance publications.